Repair Pool and Patio Screens Wellington FL 798-3132

John Screen

Posted by JRon September 18, 2017DIY, Videos /
Comments Off on How to Replace a Screen on Your Patio

For service in Wellington Florida Call John at 561-798-3132

You may need to replace a screen section on your patio when it is torn by pets, tree limbs or storms and other mishaps. The following video will demonstrate how to replace a screen section on the side wall of your patio. We DO NOT recommend that you try to replace a screen that is part of the top of your pool enclosure (anything that is not vertical, is the top). Working on the top of a pool enclosure is very dangerous and should not be attempted unless you have knowledge and experience.

Posted by JRon September 17, 2017Screen Repair, Videos /
Comments Off on How to Patch a Hole on Your Screen Enclosure

How to put a patch on your screen. Sometimes you don’t have the time or the money to repair or replace a screen. This video gives you a simple way to patch the hole in the screen yourself. This will work if it is on a pool, patio, screen room or lanai screen enclosure.

It will also work on a window screen. The patch will usually stay on the screen for a long time if the patching is done with everything dry.

You can also use spray glue (get from the hobby store). You could buy a roll of sticky screen but that does not stay on the screen as long (order this online).

The patch will look rather ugly and tacky but it will keep the bugs out.

Posted by JRon September 01, 2017News, Storm Damage /
Comments Off on Should I Remove Pool Screen Sections Before a Hurricane?

If you are going to get hurricane force winds at your house you may consider cutting a few screens out of your enclosure. However, It may be better to wait until the wind is above 20 at your house before you cut any screens out. The storm could shift and you may not need to do anything.

The most efficient way to remove screens (to prepare for a storm) is to take one screen out (screens at eye level) on each short side of the of the enclosure and two out on the back (longer wall side) of the screen enclosure. You may feel that you need to remove more sections.

Sometimes it may be advisable to remove the screen doors before a hurricane. Screen doors do not have strong locks and often fly open during a storm and rip off the frame. In that case, you can remove the screen door and replace it after the storm. Check your screen doors.

If the screen material on your enclosure is more than 7 years old then they will very likely blow out. The average life of screen is 7-10 years. The more sun exposure the screen has, the faster it deteriorates.

Rarely do you need to need to cut screens out of a porch (average 10X40 covered patio.)

No need to take the spline (rubber spline that holds the screen in) out.

DO NOT GET ON A LADDER DURING THE WIND !!!!!!! NEVER PUT YOURSELF IN DANGER.

The reason for taking screen out is to allow wind to blow through the enclosure. If the wind gets caught in the enclosure and has a hard time getting out, then it could lift the enclosure off the grown or even tare it off the house.

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You need to answer a few questions before you decide to remove screen sections/panels.

How much exposure to the winds does your enclosure have? (are you on a lake, a golf course, 5 acre lot or any large open area). These things increase your wind exposure.

Do you have other houses or trees (how many) around or near your pool enclosure. These things create a kind of wind barrier and reduces your wind exposure.

Was your leni or pool enclosure build before 2014? The Florida Building Codes have been upgraded in 2014, 2010, 2007, 2004, 2001. With every upgrade the requirements for screen structures were increased to be able to withstand hurricane type winds. Generally, the older your enclosure, the weaker it will be. But this is not always necessarily true because many enclosures were built much stronger than code required at the time of the build.

What type of screen is in your enclosure? Regular 18/14, 20/20 or a heavier mesh. The heavier or tighter mesh, the more resistant it will be in the wind, (more difficult it will be for the wind to blow through one side of the enclosure and out the other side.)

How tall is your enclosure? The taller the enclosure the more exposure it will have to the winds. The wind increases the higher you get from the ground. The wind is less on the ground.

How many screen side walls do you have? 1, 2, or 3? The more screen walls you have, the more exposure you have.

Do you have rusty screws or bolts?

Is the enclosure securely attached to the house?

Do you have additional bracing on your enclosure?

How large is your screen enclosure? The larger the enclosure, the more exposure to updraft or downdraft you can get.

How tall is your house? The taller your home, the more updraft or downdraft it can create on your enclosure

Generally, determine the amount of exposure your screen enclosure has and determine if you need to remove any panels or sections. Keep in mind, the screens that you remove, you will need to replace after the storm.

Posted by JRon September 04, 2016Pool Screen Repair, Videos /
Comments Off on How to Rescreen the Top of Your Pool Screen Enclosure Avoid Sheeting

John’s Screen Service Wellington, FL 33414 Call John at 561-798-3132 for service.

Sheeting Screen Enclosure Vs Attach Every Panel. Screen each section separately vs using one piece of screen between the major top beams. This video shows you the difference. Pros and cons. Make sure you know.
Different guys rescreen or repair the top or roof of your pool screen enclosure using different methods. Some ways of rescreening are better than others.

It is very dangerous to work on the top/roof of your pool enclosure. Most beams are only 2 inches wide and the guy needs to balance on the beams as he replaces the screen. Be sure to check to see if the guys who are working on the roof or top of your pool cage are insured. If they are not insured and they get injured you may be responsible.

Posted by JRon June 17, 2016Window Screens /
Comments Off on Window Screens How to Measure

In the spring and fall is a great time to have your windows open to let in the fresh air. However, you need screens in your windows to keep out the bugs and other unwanted things.

There are many types of windows which leads to many types of window screens. Window screens are not complicated but there is a lot of information because there are so many types and designs of windows that it seems complicated.

If all you need is to rescreen your old window screen then you can take your old window screen to a place that will rescreen it for you. Many Ace Hardware stores will do this, some Home Depot and Lowes stores will do it for you and perhaps other places in your area. Some handymen can do this. In a large condo or HOA that have a repair department may do it for you. We suggest that you have one screen done at first to make sure it will fit and it is what you want (if you are having a screen made from your measurements).

There are things to consider when you order a new window screen.

Size

How many screens do you need to have made.

Do you have an existing screen – to use as a guide to measure for the new screen

Is you window screen installed from the outside or the inside.

Is the window frame made of aluminum, vinyl, wood, fiberglass, steel or other material.

The manufacture name, if you can find that out. (there are more than 100) (each manufacture has many designs) (over 400,000 since 1912)

Posted by JRon July 08, 2015Hiring a Contractor /
Comments Off on How Much Does It Cost To Build A Swimming Pool Screen Enclosure?

For service in Wellington Fl 33414 Call John at 561-798-3132

There are a number of things to consider when you want to find out how much it will cost to build a screen enclosure over your swimming pool in Florida.
First, there is location. If you live in the Orlando area, the Tampa area or the Miami, Broward or Palm Beach County Area, the prices differ as much as 40%-90% more in South Florida.
The building codes for Miami, Broward and Palm Beach County are much more strict and require thicker metal frames and more screws than do the Orlando or Tampa area. You would have sticker shock if you moved to South Florida from another Florida area and wanted to build a new screen enclosure.
There are several parts when pricing the screen enclosure build. First, you will need footers around the outside edge of the area where you want the enclosure. Then you will need either a concrete slab or pavers. You may also want decorative pavers on top of the concrete slab which will cost more money. You may already have all of this work done, especially if your pool was installed some years ago.
The next thing you will need is a licensed contractor to build the pool screen enclosure. The range of pricing to have an enclosure built in South Florida is $8-$15 per square foot; that is per screen square foot, (not the square foot of the deck or flooring). The average mark-up a contractor when building a pool screen enclosure in South Florida is 30% but some companies charge as much as 80%+, mark-up, (there are even different mark-ups by different sales people in the same company, as much as 40% more) so you may pay a lot more from the same company, depending on the sales person. The range of commission for sales people building screen enclosures is 3%-20% in South Florida.

Some companies also sell add-ons and upgrades, such as extra bracing, removable panels, specialty screen, stainless steel bolts and screws and more. The taller the screen enclosure (a one-story, a extra tall one-story, and a 2-story enclosure) the more it will cost. The cost per square foot is more (not just because the square feet is more but because of the height of the enclosure). Also, the cost will increase (per square foot) if it is a extra large enclosure and the span of the beams are oversized.

There are also different styles and shapes of screen enclosures that may increase the cost.
Generally, the more it cost to build the enclosure the more it will cost to have something repaired. Example, If you need one panel replaced on the roof of a two-story enclosure it will cost about 30% + more than to replace the same panel of a one-story enclosure.

Keep in mind that there are maintenance costs such as screen replacement from ware and tare.

Be sure that the contractor is a licensed contractor in Florida and has the proper insurances and get a copy of each one. Also check references and look at other screen enclosures in your area.

Posted by JRon September 04, 2014Videos, Videos DIY /
Comments Off on How to Put in or Take out a Hot Tub from Your Screen Patio or Porch

Most hot tubs are to big to take in or out of your patio/porch screen door. You will need to take a piece of the patio frame and screening out before you can get the hot tub in or out.
After the move is complete then you will need to replace the frame and screening.

It can be an extra cost to put a Hot tub in or out of your patio, pool enclosure, lanai, or screen porch.

This video shows you how to do it yourself.

Most hot tubs require a licensed plumber to hook up a hot tub but if you purchased the tub new the store will usually have someone that can do this.

BetterVue (BetterVue is made by Phifer) is a type of screen that is mostly used for window screens. It is very nice to see-through, sort-of like there is nothing there. The strands are thinner so you can see through the screen easier. There is a similar type of screen made by a different company, it is called Clear-View. Another type of screen is called UltraVue but it is not recommended for screen enclosures in South Florida, as far as we know.

Some companies that build screen enclosures did put BetterVue in the total screen enclosure (for a few years). The reason why this screen is not used as much any longer for screen enclosures is that it tares easily, slips out of the track easier as well as other problems. It also requires a different size of spline (rubber that holds the screen in the track). And most people who repair screens do not have the right size spline, and furthermore, do not even know that a different size spline was needed so they put in a spline that was to small. And the screen came out even easier and many more problems. Most of the enclosures where BetterVue was installed are in southern Florida (as far as we know).

The manufacture does not recommend BetterVue screen for screen enclosures because of all the problems. BetterVue is still made for window screens.

If you have a screen enclosure that was screened with BetterVue you will eventually may need to change to a different type of screen since BetterVue is no longer recommended. You could call the builder of the enclosure and see if they still have some Bettervue and will repair it for you. They may charge you a lot more. Regular screen(18 x14) is a darker screen so it may look like patchwork. 20 x 20 screen (smaller size holes) is darker yet. Gray screen could be an option but it sometimes has a shadow-like effect. There is not really any perfect solution. Maybe, you could convince the builder who built your enclosure to give you a really good deal to totally rescreen your enclosure with some type of screen that is going to be around for a long time (and has been tried and proven) for a screen enclosure.

Posted by JRon June 09, 2014Pool Safety, Videos /
Comments Off on How to Install a Hurricane-Safe Screen Enclosure and Swimming Pool

John’s Screen Service in Wellington Florida, 561-798-3132

In this video you will see how a pool screen enclosure is built, how a patio is protected from storms, how the swimming pool runs with less chlorine, and how a child protective screen barrier is placed around your pool. All of these areas are important to know about when you build a new screen enclosure or if you already have an existing pool enclosure.

After you have your screen enclosure it will need to be maintained such as replacing screens because of children, pets, trees or storms.

For pool screen enclosure service in Wellington Florida, call John at 561-798-3132

Every company has different things that are covered under their warranty. The length of time is usually based on what type of work is done. They usually last from 3 months to 2 years. Warranties usually cover only workmanship (which means the screen will stay in the track under normal ware and tare, and excludes damage done by animals, people and acts of God), and there no warranty for the materials that are used. The warranty is usually automatically voided when a hurricane or tornado or very strong wind has occurred.

Even if the screens are not blown our or torn during a hurricane or tornado, the frame could have been blown from side to side a lot, so as to loosen the screens (and bolts) and may easily come out later. The screen material is usually a synthetic material (called screen cloth). And you would not expect any type of cloth to be covered by a warranty if it is put out in a hurricane or strong wind.

Keep your paperwork from the screen company that says exactly what work was done and what the warranty covers. Remember that a warranty is only as good as the person or company who stands behind it.

Posted by JRon April 04, 2014Hiring a Contractor /
Comments Off on One Story vs 2 Story Screen Enclosures

For service in Wellington FL call John at 561-798-3132

When you have a two-story house or condo and wish to add a screen enclosure, you will need to decide if you want to have a 2-story or a 1-story enclosure.
Most city, county or local codes do not allow you to build a 2-story screen enclosure on a 1-story house. Many HOAs do not allow 2-story enclosures, even on a 2 story house.

The advantages of a 2-story is that it is very open and if you have a balcony on the second level, the balcony will be inside of the enclosure.

The disadvantages of a 2-story enclosure is that it is a lot more expensive to build and maintain, (30% – 50% more). The screens on the top part of the enclosure get blown out by the wind more often. Also, the enclosure sways and twist in the wind more so the screws on the top beams pop off more often.

Other disadvantages of a 2-story is getting a repair person to repair a screen, or repair anything, on the top part of the enclosure. Only about 20% of the people who repair screen enclosures will repair a 2-story enclosure. It is very expensive as well as difficult to get someone to replace screws on the top portion of the enclosure.

If you already have a 2-story enclosure and need repair, make sure you tell the repair person that you have a 2-story. You will save your time and their time.

In Florida there are hundreds of swimming pools. Many of the pools have a big screen room around them to keep the bugs and trash out. The screen rooms or screen enclosure, as many people refer to them, are mostly made of an aluminum frame and screen that is attached to the frame.

Screen enclosures require maintenance. When a screen gets a hole or a tear or rip because of wind, or a tree limb falling, a golf ball crashing into the pool you will want to replace that part of the screen. Replace bent or broken frame sections since they can be hazardous.

You want your screen enclosure frame to last as long as possible and look as good as possible. After all, your screen room is an extension of your home living space.

There are some things that you can do to maintain your enclosure, screen room or porch. The following description applies to structures that are made using aluminum and synthetic screen material.

The aluminum frame that is under the roof eves of the house needs a little more attention. While the frame is more protected and thus more stable and secure during high wind events the screen enclosure is constantly affected by nature all the time, 24\7.

The part of the frame attached to the house does not get the free natural cleansing that freestanding pool enclosures get when it rains. If you have a lot of trees or even a fence or hedge near the enclosure, screen room or porch, this will also reduce the natural rain cleaning process.

The screen is attached to the aluminum frame so it collects small amounts of water vapors, mists, salts, chlorides, minute chemicals and dirt from the air and this may not be washed away by the rain. The deposits are captured and collected by the screen and this material congeals. This is a slow process but it damages the frame by eating away at the aluminum.

The frame should be cleaned every year. To do this all you need is a water hose with no attachments. At slow volumes or minimal pressures place the water hose on the frame directly over the rubber tubing and gently rinse the debris away.

The deposits mainly collect on the horizontal frame also known as the chair rail. The best time to clean the frame is after a very long hard rain as the deposits are softer at that time and are easier to wash out.

There are exceptions to these rules of thumb. If someone has pressure cleaned your home or roof and used chlorine or bleach then the entire frame should be cleaned in this manner.
Even very old screen frames can be somewhat renewed with this intervention.

Posted by JRon January 20, 2014Screen Repair /
Comments Off on What Type of Screen do You Need?

For Service in Wellington FL call John at 561-798-3132

There are many types of screen. The kind that you use is determined by what you want to do or what problem you want to solve.

The screen for porches and pool enclosures comes in 2 colors, gray and charcoal (black). Charcoal color screen is used the majority of the time.

Most screen is defined by the number of strands per square inch. Example, 18X14 has 18 strands one way and 14 strands the other way. 20×20 screen has 20 strands one way and 20 strands running the other way. There is also 18×16, 20×30, 30×30 and 40×40 screen. The screen that is most often used on screen enclosures patios and porches in Florida is 18×14. 18×16 is mostly used to screen windows.

Most all of the screen material we use is made in the USA by Phifer Inc, http://www.phifer.com/consumerdiy/overview. Check out their website for more information.

18×14 Fiberglass Pool and Patio Insect Screening

18 x 14 Fiberglass Mesh Charcoal

Better View (BetterVue) is another type of screen (the strands are thinner so you can see through the screen easier). UltraVue and ClearVue are similar types of screen. They are used mostly for windows and sometimes on small porches.
The reason why this is not used for screen enclosures is that it tares easily, slips out of the track easier as well as other problems. The manufacture stopped making that screen for screen enclosures because of all the problems. Refer to another post on this site for more details. “What to Do When you Need to Replace BetterVue Screen on Your Patio or Enclosure”

Pet screen is stronger and has thicker strands but the strands are further apart than the 18×14 screen. SunTex 80 is also a thick screen and is often used for pets and the strands are closer together than regular pet screen, which helps to keep more bugs out.

PetScreen® Pet Resistant Screen

PetScreen Black

Florida Glass is a screen that has been laminated with plastic. It is used to keep water and trash out. It is not clear and you can only see shadows through it. The plastic starts pealing off in about 2 years or so. Some types of water make stains on the plastic.

Solar screen/shade screen is a very dense weave of screen. There are a number of different sizes. It is mostly used to block out most of the sun on windows, or for green houses.

Other types of screen:

NO-SEE-UMS (20×20 Mesh) Insect Screen

NO-SEE-UMS Charcoal

TuffScreen® Heavy Duty Insect Screen

TuffScreen

Phifer SunScreen®

SunScreen Exterior Shading Fabric Charcoal

For service in Wellington FL Call John at 561-798-3132John’s Screen Repair Service
1210 Mystic Way
Wellington, FL 33414

Posted by JRon January 20, 2014General /
Comments Off on Rusty Screw Problems in Screen Enclosures

John’s Screen Service in Wellington 561-798-3132

Rusty screws are a common problem in screen enclosures, porches and patios in Florida. There are several things that cause rust.

Exposure to sun and rain and aging cause problems. Homes that are close to salt water also rust faster.

The tops/heads of the screw often pop off and that results in a weaker screen structure.

Chlorine causes the biggest problems. Most people wash their deck or patio with chlorine and that causes the screws to rust much faster.

A partial solution to the chlorine problem is to make sure that you thoroughly rinse the chlorine off the screws and any metal areas afterwards.

Another thing that causes rust is the incompatibility of metals that touch each other. The frame is made of aluminum and the screws are made of another type of metal.

You may need to replace some of the screws because of the rust. There are screws that are more resistant to rust than others but are also more expensive.

Below is a list of some types of materials that screws are made of that are used in building a metal frame screen enclosure, porch or patio.

Zinc

Galvanized

Coatings of various kinds

Stainless Steel – is a mixture of metals that includes various amounts of nickel which is a anti rust metal. Nickel is not as strong a metal as steel so the screws cannot be made totally of a softer metal. Therefore, even if you use stainless steel screws, they will eventually rust.

When you try to replace a screen section, (on a pool enclosure, porch, patio or other) and the outside temperature is below 70 there could be a problem.

In cooler temperatures the spline (black rubber tubing that keeps the screen in place) gets like hard plastic and when the temperature gets below 60 it is very rigid.

Because of the rigidness of the spline (tubing), the spline may tare the screen . The tares may be very small (only a few strands) but that small tare can rip more easily, so in a few months you may have rips and tares along the edge of a fairly new screen.

The screen material also becomes more brittle in cooler weather and may tare easier when you work with it.

So, even though you may want to replace your screens ASAP, it is better to wait until the outside temperature is above 70.

John has been in business 15+ years in Wellington Florida. He repairs and replaces screens on swimming pool enclosures, patios, windows, and screened porches. He also builds porches, and repairs damaged enclosures.

Posted by JRon November 09, 2012DIY /
Comments Off on Prepare Your Pool for Winter Safety

It does not get very cold in South Florida during the winter but it is still too cool for most people to swim.

It is important to keep your pool enclosure locked so children do not fall into the pool and need help.

The federal gov has made a number of laws regarding pool safety. You can find them in the links below.

About PoolSafely.gov and CPSC

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. In addition to Pool and Spa Safety, the CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard.

Posted by JRon September 02, 2012Storm Damage /
Comments Off on Hurricane September

John’s Screen Repair Wellington FL 561-798-3132

It looks like September could be a very busy season in the Atlantic. Hurricanes are lined up all the way from N.C. to Africa.

It is not to late to check your screen enclosure for loose and rusty screws. Every tight screw and bolt helps to keep your enclosure from flying away. Every time there is a very strong wind the joints can loosen a little bit.

A big question comes up every year. Should I remove several sections of screen. The answer is yes, no, or maybe. If you decide to remove sections, wait until the winds are close.

To remove the screen section, all you need to do is get a knife or scissors and cut out the screen, nothing fancy. Some people recommend that you take out one upper wall side section on each end of the enclosure and 1-2 on the long back side. It is not generally necessary to remove a section of screen on a small porch or patio.

Some people even buy a roll of screen from Home Depot or Lowe’s before the storm, because they remember a few years ago when the supply of screen ran very low and was hard to get. After the storm you will need to repair or replace the screens that have been taken out or get someone to repair the screens for you.

Posted by JRon August 02, 2012Pool Screen Repair /
Comments Off on Do You Need a Screen Inclosure to Keep Trash Out

John’s Screen Repair Service, Wellington, Florida 561-798-3132

One of the big reasons people have screen enclosures over their pool is to keep the trash out of their pool. Of course, other benefits of having a screen enclosure is to keep the bugs out. You can open your doors and windows and enjoy the outdoors.

A pool screen enclosure, patio screen room or screened lanai is a good way to add space to your home at a much lower cost than putting an addition on your home. Recently a customer wanted to add a new enclosure only because she wanted to double the size of her house.

Back to the subject of keeping trash out of your pool. Having a screen enclosure is the best way to keep trash out of your pool but it is not the only way. Keep the trees trimmed that are near the pool and that will reduce the number of leaves and other trash that get into your pool

You may not think of dogs, cats, raccons, snakes and even alagators as trash but you do need to keep them out of your pool.

Another way to keep trash out of your pool is to put a pool cover over your pool. A pool cover does keep the water in the pool about 5 degrees cooler.

Posted by JRon July 21, 2012DIY /
Comments Off on Prepare Screen Enclosure for Hurricane

John’s Screen Repair Wellington 561-798-3132

Preparing your screen enclosure for a hurricane is important.

You need to look at the screws and bolts to see if they are rusty. Old rusty screws snap and fall out. This does not happen all at one time. But it happens that a few at a time fall out and at some point the structure comes apart.

You may have a lot of rusty screws but your structure seems fine. But then you get a stong wind or hurricane and it just comes apart.